Matt Thompson as “Dexter Haven” and Samantha Simpson as “Tracy Lord” in a scene from the Playcrafters production of “The Philadelphia Story.” (Submitted Photo)
The lead role of the heiress in the play was modeled and inspired by real-life socialite, Helen Hope Montgomery Scott, a Philadelphia heiress.
Personalities spark and sizzle while nearly imploding in the matching of wits (and more) in the upcoming production of the 2025 season on the Playcrafters’ stage — “The Philadelphia Story.”
A smash Broadway hit back in its day, garnering fans and honors as well as grossing millions, “The Philadelphia Story” by playwright Philip Barry has come a long way from its 1939 premiere and still maintains its classic place in theatrical history. It originally starred the notable Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart, and is very much a sister to another hit production, “High Society,” starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra.
“It’s a screwball comedy,” said director Emily-Grace Murray, “and based on a real Main Line family.”
The lead role of the heiress in the play was modeled and inspired by real-life socialite, Helen Hope Montgomery Scott, a Philadelphia heiress.
The fiery and quick-witted elder sister and socialite heiress Tracy Lord (played by Samantha Simpson) is about to marry her rich fiancé George Kittredge (played by Eric Crist), but the wedding plans go awry when complications set in. In a scheming twist to the guest list for the wedding, the arrival of Lord’s ex-husband, Dexter Haven (played by Matt Thompson), along with Mike Conner, a journalist (played by Eric Rupp) and Liz Embry, a photographer (played by Victoria Glock-Molloy) set the stage for a rousing upheaval of events to the planned fare.
Its funny, quirky, and romantic energy has beguiled audiences of every age in typical zany style, but there is a refined side to “The Philadelphia Story” in that its endearing features include social satire pitting “the moral snobbery of the self-righteous against the imperfect.”
The twists and turns reflect the nature of the characters as they interplay and reveal more depth than the otherwise lighthearted whimsy of a screwball comedy would normally allow. It boils down to perception and reality. When one comes to terms with what’s important — or lasting — the answers lie in that sometimes things aren’t so clear-cut … until they are. The learning curve isn’t always a linear line.
“It’s incredibly funny, with a great cast and good people,” Murray said. “A show that’s not done very much, which is surprising. It’s genuinely a lot of fun.”
If you go:
Playcrafters presents “The Philadelphia Story” at The Barn, 2011 Store Road at Skippack Pike in Skippack.
March 14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 at 8 p.m. and March 16, 22, 23 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $24
